Newcastle hit out at 'double standards'

Last updated at 19:00 19 October 2006

Newcastle boss John Fletcher has slammed what he considers the "double standards" of English rugby's disciplinary system after Wasps stars Raphael Ibanez and Simon Shaw escaped serious punishment for alleged acts of foul play.

A furious Fletcher even claimed England international Shaw might have avoided a disciplinary hearing because he is likely to be involved in next month's autumn Test schedule.

Oakes will attend a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing in London next Monday, while his club handed out a one-week ban which means he misses tomorrow night's European Challenge Cup appointment with Padova.

Fletcher, though, is angry that no action has been taken against former France captain Ibanez or England lock Shaw.

"We are not condoning what Jason did - we are absolutely furious with him and have banned him for a week accordingly - but I am totally bemused by the double standards of the disciplinary system," said Falcons rugby director Fletcher.

"Jason was yellow-carded and summoned to an RFU hearing for his stamp. Fair enough, I agree with that.

"But the Ibanez stamp on Matt Burke was equally as bad and has just been brushed aside with the equivalent of a yellow card dished out after the match.

"The excuse given was that it was just a glancing blow, and that it was on the shin rather than the ankle.

"If you have a look at the state of Burke's leg this week, that was no glancing blow. That could have been a broken leg, easily, and we are lucky it wasn't as serious as that."

Fletcher pointed to television footage showing Shaw "illegally lifting" Oakes in a maul then "punching him in the head".

Fletcher added: "The referee on the day only awarded a penalty when it was clearly a sin-binning, and after the game the citing commissioner has only given him (Shaw) a retrospective yellow card.

"They (Wasps) haven't had to suffer being reduced to 14 men during the game like we did, and their player has not had to serve any suspension at all. It just smacks again of double standards.

"The message that sends is that it is okay to go around a rugby field punching people in the back of the head.

"Of course, it couldn't have anything to do with the fact that Shaw is most likely going to be involved with England during the autumn Tests. It is one rule for one and one for another, but the reality is that Jason Oakes is just as important for us as Shaw is for England.

"I would like to reiterate I am not condoning Oakes' actions. He was rightly sin-binned and we've banned him for one game after an internal hearing."